To Save The Day
by StakeMeSpike04
Summary: Sarah's all but settled into her normal, college life, but what happens when an endangered friend has her racing back to the Labyrinth? One-shot.


It was a quiet Saturday night like most for Sarah Williams. She was alone (which was hardly surprising, considering her roommate and fellow student, who presently did not care much for schoolwork), copying over some of her more messily-scrawled notes and baking cookies for a university-wide charity bake sale. It wasn't much of a Saturday night, but seeing as how the semester was drawing to a creeping close and finals were looming over everyone's heads, parties were a big no-no. Her roommate, of course, had other ideas about it, but Sarah didn't think it polite to contest that.

Besides, having her roommate out of the way meant one thing.

She could have visitors.

Although, considering these visitors, they could also be called intruders.

They showed up at inconvenient times more often than not, but Sarah couldn't exactly fault them for that. Besides, it was all in good fun, so long as Bethany (her roommate) didn't rage at Sarah (an innocent party) for things she hadn't done, such as misplacing her favorite set of heels or drinking all of her Slim Fast. And even if Bethany did unfairly rage at her, Sarah could deal with it. Her Kingdom as Great, and all that. She was _way_ beyond playing the victim and thinking the world was out to get her, thankyouverymuch.

Still, it was much easier to act like a normal human being when there weren't goblins or other Labyrinth denizens hiding behind doors or hanging precariously from the ceiling. It led to far fewer broken plates and shrieks of fright from Bethany.

It wasn't two minutes into her solitude when she sensed she wasn't alone. Sarah sighed. It wasn't as though she didn't enjoy their company. She did. It was just that sometimes Sarah wished she could get a single evening to herself. Such time could be spent taking a luxurious bubble bath, or studying in peace, or getting to eat a meal all by herself. The goblins and her other friends from the Labyrinth didn't seemed to think likewise, much to her chagrin.

Which explained why Sarah's foot was being painfully stepped on as she measured out flour.

"Cripes!" she howled, dropping the bag and watching the flour scatter everywhere. It fettered out prettily, like newly-fallen snow. Instead of being appreciated, the effect merely made the brunette girl frown in anticipation of the clean-up. The offending creature looked up beneath a helmet coated in flour, its small, ugly face a contortion of confusion.

"What was that for?!" Sarah panted, hopping up and down on one foot to try to alleviate the pain. It didn't help, and only served to make her feel winded.

"What was what for?" it asked back innocuously.

"You stepped on my foot!"

"No, I didn't."

She huffed, ceasing to jump and placing her hands on her hips. "I think you did."

"Nuh uh!"

"Uh huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Uh huh!"

"Nuh-"

Sarah held up a hand. "Alright, fine, _fine_. If you say you didn't, you didn't. Happy?" The goblin grinned largely, flapping his head up and down, releasing more flour into the air. Sarah sighed. It was quickly becoming a habit.

"Is it just you, then?" she asked, peering around the room.

"Nope!" a choir of shouts returned, springing up from around the apartment.

"Lovely." She dropped the wooden spoon she had been gripping in her hand, unconscious of wielding the thing.

An unbidden smile came to her pert mouth as the creatures drew out of the shadows, most of them too silly and familiar to make her irritated for long. Many faces she knew well, as they were some of the creatures that visited her on a regular basis. Against her better judgment, she was pretty fond of them.

But something was off tonight. Instead of the goofy grins she had learned to expect, she only saw drawn faces. This was odd. Goblins, by nature, were happy and carefree, not solemn and stoic. Shivering, Sarah came out from behind the counter she was working at, ignoring the footprints she made in the mess all over the floor.

"Hey guys," she said hesitantly, "What's up?"

"You gotta come with us," one of them said abruptly. He was still as stone, his large booted and stubby legs pinned to the ground.

Sarah looked around. No one seemed to negate the truth of his statement.

She blinked.

The goblin blinked.

Somewhere, off to the side, a goblin burped.

"What do you mean I have to come with you _?_ " she asked, amending the grammar at the last second.

"You gotta come," it repeated.

"It's important!" chirped another.

"King said so!" said a third.

Sarah froze.

In all of the years she had been visited by the goblins, which was six in total, if one was to count the time on from That Night, she had never once heard the goblins mention the king. She had always thought it was a self-preserving measure, seeing as how words had power, be careful what you wish for, tra la la. The only person that ever mentioned him was Hoggle, and it was usually with a sniff of disdain to make Sarah laugh. Truth be told, she had wondered occasionally (OK, so who was the final authority on the definition of 'occasionally'?) about him, curious as to what he was up to, if he had snatched any babies lately, ever thought about her…completely normal things. Still, to find out that the Goblin King was actually _asking_ her to come to the Labyrinth was a wholly unexpected phenomenon.

"Nuh uh," was her eloquent input.

"Uh huh," returned the goblins.

Sarah put a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "You mean to tell me that His Nibbs asked me to come, personally, Underground for some inexplicable reason?"

"Yep!" they crowed.

"Did he, by chance, mention any reason _why_ I need to come?" she asked, expecting little by way of a reply.

"Nope!"

"Ugh," was her eloquent response. She thought as much.

"So, will you come?" the stubby-legged goblin demanded.

Sarah paused, considering.

She smiled beatifically, completely sure of her answer.

"Nope."

Cacophony erupted. Her hands flew up to cover her ears, her face wincing in response.

"Stop. _Stop_!"

They gradually quieted, although a few continued to sniffle. The sound of it was enough to put anyone off their lunch.

"But Laaaaaady!" they wailed.

"Nothing doing," she held, crossing her arms across her chest. "If Jareth wants me to come, he's going to have to give me a damn good reason. _Personally_."

Abruptly, a crystal appeared before them, glowing mystically and floating in mid-air.

"Oh for the love of-!"

But she paused. She leaned towards the orb, and the goblins followed her example. The light of the crystal reflected on her face, casting a milky sheen over her features. She seemed to pale as she took in the image in the crystal, and Sarah was almost colorless for a moment.

"Alright. Let's go."

"Yay! Thanks Lady!" They grabbed onto her hands, their grubby fingers clinging to hers.

"No wait, I-!"

But Sarah's protestations were cut short. They were gone.

* * *

In all of her imaginings about meeting the Goblin King again, in none of them had she envisioned herself doing so in flour-coated sweatpants, her long hair swept up in a messy ponytail (also sporting flour), with an army of goblins flanking her.

Well. Perhaps the goblins were always unavoidable.

Still, she would have liked to have appeared in a more elegant fashion. She had daydreamed their reunion countless times, always with them meeting as equals. He would be suitably regal-looking, as he always had been, and she would embody the world-wearied warrior, having fought her way to the center of the Labyrinth once more, but ever-ready for one of his challenges. She had conjured for herself a grown-up outfit, something appropriately impressive: a slinky black dress, or maybe tight-fighting jeans. Something that hugged every grown-up curve she had accumulated in six years.

Or maybe just something that hid a Taser.

 _Even so,_ thought Sarah bravely. _Attitude is the best apparel. You could be meek as a mouse in bullet-proof armor and it still wouldn't do you a jot of good. Own your shabbiness, Williams._

She made a face.

It was going to take all of Linda Williams' acting genes to pull this one off.

The unexpected summons had given her very little time (physically as well as emotionally) to get herself into some semblance of order to see the infamous Goblin King. In the small span of time in which they were traveling to the Underground, she had prayed that perhaps the goblins would take her somewhere other than the throne room.

It was a futile hope.

Finding her center of balance took her a moment once they appeared in the Underground. She had swayed momentarily on the spot, her eyes closed. When she did open them and peered down at the goblins, she gave them a very stern glare. "You couldn't have given me a second before taking me away?"

They had the good grace to look chagrined. A few shrugged, some shuffled their feet. It was all very adorable, but Sarah was still irritated.

"You mustn't blame them too much, precious. They were, after all, obeying my orders."

That voice.

Him.

She wanted to run away from the moment, to put it off as long as she could, but there wasn't anything to do about it. It had come all the same, the moment she had both hoped for and dreaded.

She looked up.

It was picturesque, really.

There he was, sprawled out on his half-moon throne, his long, slender form stretched across it in an indolent fashion. He was far finer than he had any right to be, especially amidst the squalor of his court. While his person was pristine, all around the room was evidence of disarray and disuse. The juxtaposition was not lost on Sarah. Irritatingly, the unhygienic chaos did not make him in any way less appealing.

"Your orders?" she said, once she had found her voice.

Even from across the room she noticed his eyes twinkle at her, as if he knew every dark secret of her soul. A person less brave than she would have quaked under such attention, but not Sarah.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Did you expect another's?"

She ignored every instinct that would have her squirm under his intense scrutiny, and stood firm. "It's just curious, is all. I've been plagued by your subjects for years. Were those your orders as well?"

She could have imagined it, but there appeared to be a tick in his expression. He wasn't as relaxed as he pretended to be. Jareth was anxious. In fact, he was positively _on edge_. He was hiding it well. But for what reason, Sarah could not begin to surmise.

"While I would love to argue the finer points of goblin possession, I did summon you here for a reason."

"Yeah, about that -"

As quickly as she could blink, Jareth was standing before her, not two feet away from her person. Shocked, she swayed again. He reached out a hand to steady her, his fingers a firm grip anchoring her to the present.

"I'm afraid, Sarah, that your delightful arguments about justice will have to wait." She closed her mouth, too outraged to form a coherent thought. It was his next words, however, that changed everything.

"I need your help." His voice was quiet, his expression utterly solemn.

Sarah stilled, her eyes wide. Her mind was artfully blank of everything except one thought.

"What can I do?"

* * *

Sarah stared.

And stared.

 _And stared._

"How did he…?!" She turned to Jareth in bewilderment.

"I have _no_ clue," he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. "But it would appear as though the red monstrosity was set upon by fireys and somehow landed in this predicament."

Sarah frowned, turning her attention back to Ludo. Her poor friend had gotten himself into quite the predicament, indeed. From Jareth's brief explanation, she had learned that Ludo had run unknowingly into a trap of sorts - that the fireys had set, undoubtedly. For any other creature - save Ludo - the trap would have been entirely harmless, capturing the creature entirely and encasing them in a makeshift rope trap that hung above a gaping ravine. Unfortunately for Ludo, who was rather larger prey than most, the trap had failed to catch him altogether, and had somehow succeeded in tangling Ludo in a series of ropes that had wrapped all around him and frayed. It would have been humorous if not for the fact that some of the frayed ropes had lodged themselves around his neck.

She had immediately realized the dire nature of the situation on sight. It was hard to tell from the distance she stood from her endangered friend, but she could tell for herself that Jareth spoke truly. Presently, they were standing on a bridge also crossing the ravine, the closest Jareth would have them go in such a circumstance. Any closer, he had explained, and Ludo would panic.

"Is he hurt?" she asked quietly.

Jareth didn't look at her, and she was glad for it. She knew that if he did, her resolve would crumble. "It's hard to say. He has been whimpering, and is clearly afraid. He will no doubt have some very serious rope burns. But if we do this correctly, and quickly, Ludo will be safe."

Sarah released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Right then," she said, steeling herself, "What do we do?"

Jareth pointed, indicating the rocks that laid on the ground beneath Ludo's feet, some fifty yards below him. "The answer is in those rocks, Sarah. You must make Ludo summon them to form a tower he can safely stand on. Once the platform is constructed, I will use my magic to sever the rope he is dangling from. It is essential he be standing on something so he does not break his neck."

Sarah winced, not enjoying the mental image this created. But Jareth was giving her plain honesty, and it was exactly what she wanted. She didn't want to be coddled, not when her friend was in danger.

His words caught up to her. "Wait... _me_? _I_ have to make Ludo summon the rocks? How am I supposed to do that?!"

Jareth regarded her patiently. "You're his friend, Sarah, are you not?"

She looked at him guiltily. "Yeah, but-"

"And he trusts you, does he not?"

"I would think so-"

"So," Jareth said, gesturing towards Ludo with a flourish, "He will listen to you. I cannot tell Ludo what to do - I will merely frighten him more, and he will further tangle himself. You must be the one to do it, Sarah. It's you."

Something about the inflection in his voice when he said the last made Sarah want to look into his face, but she stopped herself. Now was not the time to try to decipher Jareth and his strange meanings. Now was the time to be the hero and save the day.

Again.

She nodded slowly. "OK. Right. I can do this," she said to herself, quietly. She felt Jareth's eyes upon her, and rather than cowing her, it seemed to give her courage. "Ludo," she called out, trying to draw his attention. "Ludo, it's Sarah!"

"Sawah?" he asked, pathetically.

Sarah felt a moan of anguish well up in her throat, but she coated it indeed with sweet eagerness. "That's right, Ludo! It's me! Ludo, I need you to do me a favor, can you do that?"

"Sawah friend," he replied, somewhat muffled but still certain.

She swallowed thickly, summoning up her courage. She had to be strong. For Ludo.

"That's right, Ludo," she said, all false brightness. "I need you to build me a tower, a tower of rocks for a princess, can you do that?"

"Rocks...friends…." he said, his voice choking on a whimper. He was afraid, that much was evident, but the reminder of the rocks drew his attention. His struggles lessened.

"I need a tower, Ludo. There are plenty of rocks, right beneath your feet. I need you to build a tower, right up to you." Afraid he didn't comprehend her when he said nothing in response, she paused, looking to Jareth for help.

He narrowed his gaze, his troubled eyes fixed on Ludo. "He's confused," Jareth said, frustration leaking out. Sarah felt a shadow of amazement pass over her. Jareth was concerned for _Ludo_. The feeling was surreal. She didn't think he cared about any of them, outside of what their usefulness could be to him. His eyes brightened, an idea capturing him. "Tell him a story, Sarah," he commanded feverishly.

"A story?" she asked in disbelief.

"Surely you can do that," he returned, a hint of mischief coloring his voice. "I seem to recall a certain green-eyed princess in the park who thought the world was out to get her and the evil king of goblins had stolen her brother from her."

"You _did_ steal him, Goblin King," she said adamantly.

He waved a hand. "Semantics," he said loftily. "The point being, precious, that you can tell stories better than anyone else. Tell _him_ one." He extended his hand regally out towards the hanging creature.

"And Sarah," he added quietly, his face losing its' teasing, "Make it count."

Swallowing thickly, Sarah nodded, turning her attention back to the poor creature.

"Ludo, I want you to listen," she called. "I'm going to tell you a story, OK?" She didn't wait for confirmation before she launched into the story.

"Once upon a time, there was a young girl who was lonely and sad. She was sad because she didn't think anyone loved her, and she wanted a friend." She paused, waiting for some type of scathing remark from Jareth, but received none. She continued. "One day, she was whisked off to a magical land and went on an adventure where she met three wonderful friends whom she deeply cared for. After her adventure when she went back home, she would talk to them often. She never forgot her friends, you see."

Ludo let out a low moan, and she hurried on.

"But one day, when she came back to visit her friends, one of them was missing. He was in trouble, and the girl had to help save him. A group of terrible, wicked creatures had tricked her poor friend, and he was trapped. But the girl was wily, and knew her friend had magic to save himself. So she promised him that he would be alright, if only he sang a little song that would help him escape." Sarah paused in her story, entreating him. "You can do that, Ludo, can't you? You can sing to the rocks to help you?"

Whether it was the story she was weaving or the calming cadence of her voice, Sarah did not know. But whatever it was, it seemed to work. Ludo let out a loud wail, and Sarah and Jareth both rose their hands to cover their ears at the piercing, beseeching noise. From the ravine below, boulders of significant size and quantity began to piggy-back on top of each other, forming the great tower they had envisioned. It grew higher and higher as Ludo's singing continued, and Sarah felt hope well up within her.

The process was agonizingly slow. Her attention alternated between her suspended friend and the method of his salvation. Even Jareth, the master of collectedness, seemed tense beside her. She clutched her fingers inward to resist the instinct to reach out and hold his hand.

After what felt like years, the tower was high enough, and with a great 'oomph', Ludo stepped atop it. Without preamble, Jareth made a slashing gesture with his arm, and the rope around Ludo's neck was cut and fell away. Giving a great cry of relief, Sarah raced off the bridge and towards her furry friend.

"Ludo!" Sarah cried out, tears welling in her eyes. The beast stepped off his rock tower and onto solid land. Sarah quickly grasped his hand, her face near to crumpling. "Ludo, are you alright?"

He gave a big nod of his shaggy head. "Yeah," he responded. He gave Sarah a toothy grin, and she laughed chokingly.

"Sarah, no cry," he said, his smile disappearing. The hand that was not trapped by hers came up and gently stroked her hair. "Sarah friend." It was simple, but it seemed to convey so much.

She felt Jareth sidle up to her. "It's alright now, Sarah," he said calmly. She continued to pat Ludo's hand absently and stare into his big, kind eyes. "He's safe now."

Sarah nodded and slowly released his hand with a final pat. "Go on, Ludo," she said, nodding her head towards the forest. "I'll catch up with you later." He gave her another grin, turned, and stomped through the trees and out of sight.

Breathing a great sigh and rubbing a hand absently along her cheek where a tear had fallen, she became aware that she was not alone. Overcome by her relief at Ludo's safety, she was not afraid of being alone with the Goblin King. Angling her body towards his, she straightened and squared her shoulders.

"Thank you for warning me about Ludo," she said graciously. "I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if something happened to him."

"It is I who should be thanking you," he returned, just as politely. "Your particular brand of magic is in short supply around here."

She gave him a skeptical look. "That wasn't magic. We both know I'm perfectly mundane."

"Oh now I wouldn't say that," the being said with an enigmatic smile. It was flattery, freely offered, and despite herself, Sarah felt her cheeks warm. "And besides, magic wasn't required today. It was something infinitely more precious.

"Friendship."

Sarah's jaw dropped. Never in her wildest imaginings would she have thought Jareth, Goblin King, baby-snatcher extraordinaire and purveyor of psychedelic fruit, to admit anything was more precious than magic. Sarah could have fainted right then and there.

"Really?" she asked, her voice a study in nonchalance. "You value friendship that much?"

He made a vague waving motion to denote indifference. "It's an idea, unquantifiable, to be sure, but a notoriously human one. It's hard not to marvel at a concept that mundane."

She winced angrily as the word was thrown back in her face, and was about to retort hotly when she paused, considering him. He was studiously avoiding her eyes, his gaze locked on straightening the cuff of his shirt. She was quietly reminded then of how Hoggle had told her about how cruel Jareth had been to him during Sarah's run, how his expression had chilled when Hoggle insinuated that he and Sarah were friends. Looking at him more closely, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. She knew all too well that things were not what they seemed.

"Yeah, well, you know us mortals," she offered instead of the barb she generally would have given. "Always barreling into fairytale adventures with no consideration of the consequences."

He looked up warily, his eyes slowly transitioning from cautious to assessing. He tilted his head curiously, the corner of his mouth tugging imperceptibly upwards.

"You have changed," he said, but it was not said bitterly. It was said with wonder, like he was viewing a lunar eclipse, or the birth of a new star.

"Well, I'm not fifteen anymore."

He smirked, but the teasing was contained at his mouth. "What are you, then?" She knew he wasn't asking her age.

Her mouth tilted upwards as well, the expression wholly encompassed by one word: cheeky.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Her answer only seemed to give Jareth immense pleasure, for a radiant smile broke out onto his face. He bowed his head to her in acknowledgement of her wit. After a moment, he rose his head, his eyes glittering wickedly. A crystal formed instantaneously upon his fingertips, and he offered it to her.

"A token of our esteem," said he solemnly.

Sarah looked down at the thing in his hand. "Dare I ask what it is?"

Jareth put a hand over his heart, as if gravely offended. "Why, it's a gift!" he said with aplomb.

Sarah merely lifted a crafted brow.

He dropped his hand, his previously gleeful expression souring. "It's not a poisoned peach this time, precious. Surely that's an improvement."

Sarah couldn't help but let a small smile slip.

"Was that a smile?" His eyes danced.

"No."

"I'm fairly certain you smiled."

She shook her head, her eyes avoiding his eyes. "I wasn't smiling."

From the corner of her eye, she could see Jareth grin. She tried to ignore her accelerated heartrate.

"So? It's a gift, fine. What _is_ it, though?"

He shrugged. "I should have thought that much was obvious."

Sarah felt a migraine approaching. "Not to us mortal folk, Goblin King."

"Jareth, if you please."

If he noticed her shiver at the request, he artfully ignored it.

"It's a wish." She stiffened, and he held up a finger in amendment. "A _free_ one." She let out a breath of air, hardly conscious that she had been holding it. _Benefit of the doubt, remember?_ she reminded herself. With a small internal nod, she took the crystal from him, hardly taking time to register the shock flashing in his eyes. She was aware, however, that her action did shock him, and it pleased her beyond measure.

"I can ask for anything?" she murmured, staring deeply into the center of the orb.

"Anything within my power to grant," he replied solemnly, his word an oath.

"Isn't that everything?" she teased.

He inclined his head towards her, his lips curved wolfishly, but they straightened as honest words poured out. "Not everything."

Her gaze softened with something like intimacy, his admission poking at something mirrored within herself. She cradled the object preciously, unaware that it was making its' way closer to her chest.

"I wouldn't say that," she murmured quietly, an echo of his earlier words. Her words were thick with significance, and she could feel his intense gaze on her.

"Perhaps home, for now, to give you due time to consider your wish?" His voice was controlled, but Sarah wasn't fooled. Something had changed today, and she wouldn't forget it. Neither would he.

"That sounds wise," she agreed, gathering herself up. "You won't make me use this to get home, will you?" she asked, indicating the crystal.

Jareth scoffed. "What sort of ungrateful wretch would that make me?"

"A tricky one?" She smiled. "Call me stupid, but I don't think you'd have gone through all of this just to trick me back here."

"That's what you think," he answered impishly. At Sarah's half-hearted glare, he sighed, waving a hand about dramatically. "Very well, precious, I am at your command."

She nodded gratefully, closing her eyes in preparation for her departure. A moment passed in which nothing happened. She furrowed her brow, thinking he had indeed duped her, and was just about to open her eyes when she felt a whisper of soft hair caress her cheek.

"Come see us again soon, won't you, precious?" he said breathily into her ear, sending a warm shiver down her spine.

Before she could open her eyes and look at him she was met with the scene of her messy apartment. She was completely flabbergasted, thinking the entire thing had to be some sort of weird daydream, when she looked down at the warm crystal in her hand. Smiling peacefully, she set about cleaning up her apartment, her mind swimming with thoughts of safe friends and crystal dreams.


End file.
